The Magic are moving on.
Despite a brief third-quarter surge from the Atlanta Hawks that cut their lead three, Orlando—who led by as many as 22 points in the first half—pulled away down the stretch of Tuesday night’s NBA play-in game to secure a 120-95 win. They’ll now take on the Boston Celtics in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Guard Cole Anthony led the way for Magic, scoring 26 points on 10 for 17 shooting while also dishing out five assists and hauling in three rebounds. The 24-year-old came off the bench on Tuesday, as he did for a majority of the 2024-25 season, and was +32 on the night over 20 minutes of game action.
WHAT A SEQUENCE, COLE ANTHONY 😤 pic.twitter.com/LoQBR0dxJQ
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 16, 2025
The Hawks’ failed comeback attempt was led by star guard Trae Young, who scored 28 points despite shooting just 8 for 21 from the floor. He was ejected from the contest in the fourth quarter after a double-technical foul, stopping Atlanta’s hopes for a resurgence in its tracks.
Despite the loss, however, Atlanta’s postseason dreams aren’t done just yet. They’ll take on the winner of Wednesday night’s play-in contest between the No. 9 seed Chicago Bulls and the No. 10 seed Miami Heat. The winner of that one moves on to a first-round bout against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
As for the Magic? They’re now officially headed to the playoffs for a second consecutive season. Their round one matchup against the Celtics will begin on Sunday from Boston’s TD Garden.
